A curfew which will close Jersey City businesses without power tonight is aimed at preempting "chaos" that could erupt amid lines of customers waiting to get into some stores.

"What I have seen is small businesses that are open, they don't have power and they have lines of people trying to get in there," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said at a 4 p.m. press conference.

"We think that could lead to chaos after 7 p.m," Healy continued. "Once night falls, people in line start getting into disputes - I was here first..."

City officials have ordered business without power to close their doors from 7 p.m. tonight until 7 a.m. tomorrow. The mayor said there have been no reports of looting.

Businesses with power may operate during their normal hours.

The city has also banned non essential vehicles from the roads until further notice and promised to issue tickets.

"We have had a traffic ban for non essential motor vehicles since yesterday afternoon - obviously the ban has not been heeded," Healy said.

Until now, the city has "requested" that all non emergency vehicles stay off the roads but Healy said police "are going to pull people over and they are going to issue summonses tonight."

"I urge residents to comply with this ban because their cooperation will only assist us in speeding the recovery," Healy said.

Up to 75 percent of Jersey City households remain without power. Public Service Electric & Gas spokesman Rich Dwyer would give no solid answer when asked when the lights will come back on.

Dwyer said PSE&G has brought in workers from as far north as Canada, as far west as Texas and as far south as Georgia, but he is urging patience. He said some switching stations were under six feet of water and the mud and debris and must be cleaned out before they can be repaired and powered up.

City Hall will be open with a skeleton crew tomorrow. Healy said he does not expect any form of mass transportation to be operating tomorrow. All Jersey City schools will remain closed tomorrow.

More than 300 residents are being housed in city shelters, but the storm has not resulted in any serious injury or loss of life, Healy said.

Also attending the press conference at the city's Office of Emergency Management was OEM Director Greg Kierce and Police Chief Tom Comey.